A Glimpse into Guayaquil's Low-Cost Private Schools

October 16, 2014 — Our Edúcate client Doctora Particia Hernandez de Soza's agenda for us includes exposing us to as much of a span of Guayaquil's socioeconomic strata as possible. We are of course limited in time. Broadening participants' perspectives is one of IBM Corporate Service Corps' key objectives. 

What businesses do in their home markets cannot necessarily always be "forklifted" into another country. This was a recurring theme during business school classes I attended. eBay's venture into China remains particularly clear in my mind. Moving from familiar environments into unfamiliar ones requires us to reassess many of our previously safe assumptions.

Thursday's visit to Escuela Particular Mixta (EPM) Cab I Patricio Gonzalez provided just such an experience. Escual Particulares Puplaries (EPPs) — such as EPM Gonzalez — are low-cost private schools. They provide parents with alternatives to public schools. They in some ways resemble parochial schools, with which we in the United States are familiar. Except they are not run by the church.

Escuela Particular Mixta Cab I Patricio Gonzalez is a low-cost, private elementary school located in Guayaquil's outer suburbs.

EPM Gonzalez is located in the outer suburbs of Guayaquil. It sits in a poorer neighborhood of Guayaquil. The roads are not paved. The homes lack stylish amenities and finely manicured lawns. This neighborhood represents the "have nots" side of the digital divide.

Guyaquil's socioeconomic distribution at the moment roughly mirrors that in the U.S. U.S. cities' wealth is generally concentrated in their suburbs — although shifts may be underway. Guayaquil's wealth has been concentrated in the center. That may also be changing, as the affluent migrate to gated suburban communities.

EPM Gonzalez exemplifies the austere end of Edúcate's operating spectrum. The foundation overcame the difficulties of this environment to deploy nine working computers into EPM Gonzalez' computer lab. They also prepared the room, including painting it and providing furniture. These computers were donated by commercial firms and private individuals. This is just one of 65 EPP schools that Edúcate supports in this part of Guayaquil. They support about 250 EPPs overall in Guayaquil.

Third-grade EPM Gonzalez students complete math exercises using computers in the laboratory provided through Edúcate's Mas Tecnolgía program.

Roberto, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) specialist supporting EPM Gonzalez, visits the school about twice per month. He drives a rugged, four-wheel-drive truck over rough, unpaved roads to make support calls on about four schools per day.

These nine computers shared are shared by all students in a group.  We observed a group of 24 fourth-graders participating in a math class. Each student takes his or her turn at the computer. They work on "computer theory" when not using the computer for math exercises. 

That means that each student's actual hands-on computer time is limited to about 30 minutes per week. This includes fifteen minutes each for for sessions in Math and Spanish. This is in addition to their "computer theory" workbooks.  

Is this enough to bridge the digital divide? One hopes it gives these students a fighting chance to cross it. Directora Letty Maritiza Vera Mendoza — principal for EPM Gonzalez — raves about her young charges' enthusiasm and motivation for using computers in the laboratory. This may not be enough for them to become "digital natives," a term applied to developed-country youths who are continuously exposed to IT from early childhood. EPM Gonzalez students at least become well-prepared digital immigrants.

EPM Gonzalez' 350 students — grades kindergarten through sixth grade — each get two sessions per week in the Edúcate-provided Apendijaze Personalizado Complementario y Interconectado (APCI) computer lab.

EPM Gonzalez students become familiarized with mainstream IT — presented by "computer theory" workbooks — in addition to using Edúcate's APCI learning program.

Directora Mendoza has been with EMP Gonzalez since its founding, thirteen years ago. The school is clearly a not-for-profit "enterprise." It appears to operate as much as a mission as a business. Its income comes from tuition payments made by the parents who can afford it. The children of many who cannot find becas — scholarships.

PPM Gonzalez teachers take turns in recording hand-written entries in the school's journal.

Directora Mendoza emphasizes the importance of creating a happy, secure environment within which for children to learn and grow. Students are taught ethics based on religious faith and patriotism.  

The school is named for a disabled veteran from the "Cenepa War." This was a brief conflict between Peru and Ecuador during early 1995. The school's name honors the sacrifice of a limb by Cab I Patricio Gonzalez during that conflict. It recognizes him in part through borrowing military ethos including loyalty, honor, and patriotism.

EPM Gonzalez' students seemed unaware of their economically disadvantaged circumstances. They produced a noise level that makes one want hearing protection. The nurturing environment insulates them from the difficult austerities of their day-to-day lives outside of school. EPM Gonzalez students share much in common with students of their age everywhere. They are curious, energetic, and enthusiastic. 

Aideen Dunne, member of IBM's CSC team for the Edúcate project, talks with PPM Gonzalez students.

When we emerged from Directora Mendoza's office to depart the school, students were lined up in a formation. As we walked by, I at first felt absurdly like a military officer reviewing troops. My reflex was to begin shaking a few of their hands. I suddenly discovered what my life would have been like had I gone into politics. Each of the students broke formation in order to shake each of our hands. I cannot recall a similarly warm welcome from people I had not previously known.

A group shot with PPM Gonzalez students and members of IBM's CSC team for the Edúcate project.